St. John Macías (1585-1645) was a Spanish-born Dominican lay brother who served as porter at the Priory of St. Mary Magdalene in Lima, Peru, for over twenty years. Born Juan de Arcas y Sánchez on March 2, 1585, in Ribera del Fresno, Extremadura, Spain, he emigrated to the Americas in 1619, arriving in Lima in 1620. He entered the Dominican Order as a lay brother on January 23, 1622. As porter, he fed some 200 poor people every day and was known for his devotion to the Rosary. He was a friend and contemporary of St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima. He was beatified with Martin de Porres in 1837 by Gregory XVI and canonized by Paul VI on September 28, 1975. His relics rest in the Basilica of Santo Domingo in Lima.
Sources
John Macias — Wikipedia.
